OEMs push back on UIDAI request to preload Aadhaar biometric app on phones

A proposal by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to pre-load the Aadhaar biometric authentication app onto mobile phones is facing pushback from the phone-makers.

The new Aadhaar mobile app was launched in January with face biometrics and liveness detection for user authentication, age verification and QR code-based credential sharing.

A January email viewed by Reuters shows local industry body MAIT (Manufacturer’s Association for Information Technology) communicating about a request from the UIDAI to the IT Ministry to engage with leading smartphone manufacturers.

Apple and Samsung expressed concerns over the security of the pre-installation, and MAIT said that a pre-installation mandate would force its members to operate separate production lines for the Indian market. This is a big deal for the OEMs, given that BW Businessworld reports $30 billion in smartphone exports from India in 2025.

MAIT also noted that Russia is alone in mandating phones are sold with government apps pre-loaded.

India’s government has also requested phones come with five other apps, including emergency alert service Sachet, already installed. MAIT wrote to a government official in March to express its opposition.

The current status of the requests in unknown.

The telecom ministry has reversed course on a pre-installed app before, ordering anti-theft and security app Sanchar Saathi to come pre-loaded on smartphones in November, and backing down on the directive in December.

A notification posted this week by India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) highlights the privacy protection of Aadhaar authentication, and the requirements for Authentication User Agencies (AUAs) and KYC User Agencies (KUAs) to retain authentication logs for two years for use in grievance redressal and dispute resolution.

MeitY says there are currently 1.34 billion people who have an Aadhaar digital ID.

Article Topics

Aadhaar  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  mobile app  |  smartphones  |  UIDAI